Tennis is a specific sport because of the format it is played. The tennis match is not limited by time because the score decides when a match will be over. It simply means that players have to be ready for short and long rivalries so endurance is one of the skills that can decide whether a player will be successful against difficult opponents.
Players have to adapt to a variety of factors that can have an impact on their performance. To achieve success, players have to deal daily with the challenges, and the ones who complain or expect an easier road, never get to the top. All athletes want to achieve the same goal but only some of them are willing to do what’s necessary to reach this place and they are aware that they have to be patient during this process. Modern champions take care of technical, tactical, physical, and mental preparation because they understand that one weak area can close the door to maintaining a high level of performance.
One of the skills that players should develop to the highest possible level is endurance. Many competitors value speed and reaction more than endurance but looking at the requirements of successful competitive performance, endurance can help in preparatory time, during the match as also after the match is over. If it offers so many benefits, it should be worth analyzing this aspect and addressing it during the daily training.
Physical training is necessary to prepare the body for the competition. Additionally, if the body is well prepared, players feel strong mentally because they know they will be ready for the incoming challenges (Waking up with tired legs after yesterday’s practice? No problem. Read here how to make another great day of training). If you think that endurance is needed only to play 5-hour matches, you won’t find the motivation to work on it every day. Here is how a high level of endurance can help you in many aspects:
Working at high-intensity
During the practice and the match, tennis players should give their best to achieve maximal progress. Working hard is a decision but as soon as a player gets into a lactic zone, it is difficult to stay there for a long time. The better endurance the player has, the slower his heart rate goes up so the player can work at high intensity for a longer time without going into this dangerous lactic zone. It confirms the fact that having great endurance has a big impact on the ability to improve other areas of a player’s performance.
Recovery between the points
Points in tennis can be shorter or longer. Between the points, players have only 20 seconds to analyze the last rally, make conclusions, and prepare for the next point. Recovery is really important and it is visible after longer rallies when players who are not prepared physically well, make many unforced errors because of the tiredness they feel from the last rally. A high level of endurance makes the heart rate drop quicker so players can start the next point from a comfortable level and they will not quickly get into the zone where the mind thinks only about stopping the action as quickly as possible.
Recovery after the match
If you want to win the tournament, you have to win at least several matches. Sometimes, you have to even play 2 or 3 matches on the same day so the effort your body has to put into the game is enormous. The recovery process plays a crucial role so players have to understand how they can impact this area to restore energy before the next match. Proper nutrition and hydration are helpful, but also high level of endurance improves the pace of recovery. By working on this aspect, tennis players receive positive benefits in the area of recovery and they allow themselves to play several matches without serious physical problems or even injuries.
All skills offer benefits to tennis players but some skills have more to offer than others. Endurance can positively impact players’ progress, performance, and recovery so there is no doubt that this area should be developed to a world-class level. As with any skill, repetitions are necessary to achieve the goal so knowing what you can get, you should have a big motivation to do what’s necessary to improve your endurance.
Marcin Bieniek is a professional tennis coach. You can contact Marcin through his personal coaching website http://marcinbieniek.info. Marcin has been working with USTA, top 50 ITF and WTA/ATP players. Author of tennis book “Tenisowy Olimp” and frequent contributor to TennisPro and TenisKlub magazines. He was a speaker at International Coaching Tennis Symposium 2016 and 2021 at Hilton Head Island, USA.